Reps. Jay Edwards (R-Nelsonville) and Jason Stephens (R-Kitts Hill) introduced a bill last week in the Ohio House of Representatives to reform funding for the construction of state jails.
The proposal, if adopted, would establish a funding formula for jails in conjunction with the Ohio Facilities Construction Commission (OFCC) and the Ohio Department of Correction (ODC) that would rank counties and award funding based on need, taking into consideration income per capita, property value and sales tax revenue capacity, according to a news release.
OFCC and ODC would work directly with counties to establish solutions for a new jail using projections of use and other means to establish the size of a facility. Under the program, which would be funded through the capital budget, the state would match a percentage of the county’s construction cost.
“This is a personal issue to my home in the 94th house district,” Edwards said. “The Meigs County Jail permanently closed last month for multiple reasons. But if this legislation had been in place, the jail would still be open and operating. Although this bill would exponentially improve jails in Southeastern Ohio, it would also have an outstanding effect on the quality of jails across the whole state.”
The proposed program was modeled after the state’s public school construction formula.
“If we can get a similar formula in place for Ohio’s jails, we could guarantee a safe and efficient jail situation in every single county across Ohio, regardless of population,” Stephens said.
The two legislators held a brief press conference last week alongside county sheriffs, including Meigs County Sheriff Keith Wood, who all expressed support for the measure.
“House Bill 101 will remove the financial burden of housing our county’s inmates in and out of county facilities as far as three plus hours away,” Wood said at the conference. “Being able to house them in our own county will prevent the wear and tear on our vehicles and allow our officers to remain in our county to protect and serve our citizens.”
The bill was referred to the House Infrastructure and Rural Development Committee last week.
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